drowning in a blissful ocean of log drums and keys: 🎹🎹 amapiano a-z 🎹🎹 an ilm poll

If I don't confuse it with a song with a similar title, I think we haven't posted the sensational Thokoza by Sam Deep & Mawhoo, which is on the darker side of Deep House.

Full version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFh7uKvO9zk

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gobnsFlD5JY
Sam Deep & Mawhoo - Thokoza

Mind blown by amapiano going german.

And yes, Thokoza is indeed incredible.

Jamie Harley's playlist tho

Yeah his playlist led me to Nobuhle's 10-track album Indlela, which makes do quite nicely in absence of Simmy or Azana last year. Sun-El's name is nowhere, but his influence is felt. At the same time, each contributor brings a touch. Emakhaya - Malo Nawe - Jerusalema - Indlela is a very nice stretch of music.

Didn't strike me immediately, but I really like what Ami Faku did here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nLKhoeW2bQ
Aymos & Ami Faku - Fatela

Also SJEPA is one ridiculous earworm, which probably has a lot to do with how cheerful and fun it is.

I get all the credit for posting it first in April of course

Ami Faku is on a roll.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQMX7yw3Hbg
De Mthuda feat. Ami Faku - Buya

And that chorus reminds me strongly of Jorge Ben - Mas que nada.

I'm continuing to catch up on the Amapiano from 2022, also trying with albums. On the smooth but tasty side, the latest Murumba Pitch - Horumar is worth hearing. They mainstream and improve on Busta 929's sound (atmospheric cold synth layers, dense tapestry of motifs, melodic pearls), whose Undisputed Vol 3 I found quite uninspired. I also tried the Focalistic, which is ok but has little to offer besides the known hits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnX2R_5CkSw
Murumba Pitch - Esangweni

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS4tUcGAlzc
Murumba Pitch - Hlasela

So I'm going to do my bi-annual amapiano lecture tomorrow at the academy where I work.
What are the three amapiano songs that I *have* to play to the students? I'm asking because I'm drowning in a sea of possibilities.

if it's for the young'uns then you might want to show a couple that have their own tiktok dance - that'll draw them in :-)

https://www.tiktok.com/discover/amapiano-dance
etc

Most of them are around 20.

With visuals, I really like the amateur video that goes with iWalk Ye Phara (the version without Moonchild Sanelly). Kokota piano too.
Something off Scorpion Kings / Return of course: on the dreamy side, Lerato is one of my most played Amapiano tracks (Nia Lo too), Dubai for some piano soloing, or something suffocating like Lorch
Jazzidisciples (Zlele) or Askies are unfuckwithable
Some more recent hit like Paris, Amanikiniki, Big Flexa, Nkao Tempela

But maybe that's just expanding the pool of choices instead of narrowing it down :)

Also consider extracts from Shaya! (the documentary) or some YT dance video: either tutorial, or an overview like South Africa A Dancing Nation

cosign on “Jazzidisciples (Zlele)”: mindblowing track, with a fantastic video for the full-length version, a very rare thing

two recent darkish instrumental tracks that either use the same sample/loop/beat or one is sampling the other:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT9xX42qSD0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak3kOIVdOpE

(the second one was uploaded a month ago, the first one a week ago, for the record)

those are:

De Tories • Pekhashin

and

Sello SA Mollo • Mozolo Move

(please label the tracks you post, for future reference and suchlike)

oh yes, sorry about that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubmGgKhaRIc

Kukzer Wadi Piano ft. Mellow & Sleazy • No Mystery

really looking forward to getting down to this banger at the next piano club gathering:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz_eUYaNaVM
Mellow & Sleazy ft. Mxrcus • Mozambique Amapiano

(fwiw the track has been removed from Spotify since I listened to it again this morning)

listening to some of the new tracks on Spotify’s Amapiano Grooves playlist after a short piano hiatus tonight and everything is sounding amazing:

Pcee x Mr JazziQ x ZanTen ft. papi_sa • Johnny ke Johnny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPnZiPRvqbg

Freddy K ft. Marsey, MhawKeys & Nhanhla The Guitarist • Ngisenalo U’thando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQvpKY31-vs

Bassie ft. Soa Mattrix & Happy Jazzman • Thandumuntu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn4xOrAhrlA
(this Bassie track is another addition to my playlist with piano jams that remind me of Kidnap (Kid)’s 2013 UK deep house classic (to me anyway) “Thin Lines” with Lottie.

this is also great - the voices!

Tyler ICU ft. Khanyisa, Tumelo_za & Tyrondee • Ngimoja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQQ1jkjEOMc

This Pcee guy is someone to watch out for. I will return to Johnny ke Johnny for those keys that open it pensively for two minutes before it transforms into a more standard (but still nice) Amapiano track. I like that aspect of shifting styles that goes with the number of contributors. I think you also mentioned the peace-chaos dynamic when Asijabule placed in the top77.

Bassie also nice with more demure female vocals, another recent innovation I like (that sounds very patriarchal lol). Ngimoja vocals also nice. Everything is nice.

always top notch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0dqaIvHCRU
GemValleyMusiQ • Dlala Drumo (KingsOfRoughMusiQ)

i've been working my way through the album. there's an awful lot of it! digging it though.

interesting piece on how amapiano (along with other forms of SA house) is reshaping the London club scene: https://mixmag.net/feature/london-afro-house-underground-movement-evolving-south-africa-amapiano-afro-tech-funky-interview

a South African beauty summit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Ex0RnPiuY
Nkosazana Daughter ft. Murumba Pitch, Master KG & Lowsheen • Ring Ring Ring

finally starting to see some of this stuff on Bandcamp!

https://pianohub.bandcamp.com/album/kopzz-avenue-for-your-ears-only-ep

I'm not usually one for whole amapiano albums by one artist but this one is pretty great: https://djblacklow-southafrica.bandcamp.com/album/impumelelo

Oh, cool! On a cursory first spin of the first half it was sounding a bit generic to me compared to his debut. Must listen some more.

i think it picks up later on, but only listened quickly over the weekend.

the first couple of tracks are so-so to me, but then it gets a lot better

oh hell yeah didn't realize there was a new dj black low album

Interested in the Black Low album but I wasn't especially moved by the promo track. I know it has its detractors but '9 Days' always got a great response from home crowds when I played it out so I'm hoping he does something similarly remarkable - I'm not asking for Skrillexy cross-over bangers so much as something to make it stand out

Okay, I'm definitely enjoying this so far

That's a good urban soundscape, could do with Focalistic but fine as it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXIqQq8sTxo
Shaunmusiq, Ftears, Xduppy (feat. Myztro, Mellow & Sleazy, Quayr Music, Matute Boy) - Bhebha

Punishing and enveloping bass, cool percussion, bonus points for it sounding like they're saying Bieber

So far, Sam Deep deserves every song of his posted and that means Impumelelo too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKjxbWMOS_w
Sam Deep & Emoh feat Da Muziqal Chef - Impumelelo

In Amapiano circles you win a game of chess when all other pieces than the king have been knocked down :D

this is nigerian but feels so ama informed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYC8Ru3v3pw

I've been noticing there's one line that keeps coming back in SO many amapiano songs and after a couple attempts at writing it down and googling... "Ase Trap Ke Pina Tsa Ko Kasi" - still not sure if it's at least every track with/by/feat. Focalistic and/or Busta 929 - and there's a story too https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2021-03-25-listen--focalistic-reflects-on-how-saying-a-se-trap-ke-pina-tsa-ko-kasi-changed-his-life/

Reviving the thread, even though I am only now trying to catch up. Not a bad time to post Kilimanjaro after I hesitated to highlight it and in the meantime it has gained a lot of plays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NvTakC15GU
Pcee, Sgija'Disciples & Zan'Ten (feat. Justin99, Mema_percent, Mr Jazziq) - Kilimanjaro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKYu8myqQY
Mellow & Sleazy & TmanXpress (feat. Keynote) - Kwelinye

Chley + a guy saying yayaya =

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqSuJyey7gk
Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo & Justin99 feat. Pcee, EeQue, Chley - Yahyuppiyah

Let's pretend breastcrawl is still around and posted this some months ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9wscBKc1GE
Lady Amar, JL SA, Cici & Murumba Pitch - Hamba Juba

Focalistic always bringing something fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4e3s0PKSFI
Focalistic, Eeque & Thama Tee - Khekheleza (Dlala Dlala)

^The transverse flute is so out of place, and there are other weird sounds, and yet I think it works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF6yO71AAYg
Pcee feat. Mr JazziQ, Umthakathi Kush, Sizwe Alakine - Ngenza ngama bomu

Pcee is one of those pure builders, heavy on atmosphere like Busta 929. His discography is pretty flawless so far (ZoTata, Johnny Ke Johnny, Kilimanjaro, Yahyuppiyah, this). The more I hear Amapiano sung by men, the closer I see the relation with hip hop (the dark jazzy minimalism, the rap-speak-singing MCs), only Amapiano does this abstract soundscaping. We get more women taking part in this style too, instead of sticking closer to house. Well, we've always said there were two Amapianos.

Made a playlist with my 25 fave Amapiano tracks this year : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3kHZeCc8BFVlh6pE53kIzu?si=4f4026a8fb41489c

Thank you lots